Unquestionable are ticks and here the two large groups of these arachnids, those
called Schildzecken and Lederzecken, the outstanding disease-communicators
at person and animal. They transfer beside the FSME also other diseases, first the "Lyme-Borreliose".
Just our dogs will be attacked over and by ticks and be infected with diseases much more often than human beings.
The bloodsucking ticks, in Germany also known
as "Holzböcke", develop - after having slipped from
the eggs - over larvae and nymphs to mature ticks. Each stage requires
to further development a "Bloodmeal" of mammals, which
they get preferently as larvae and nymphs from little rodents (mice)
and hedgehogs as well as birds.
Just the mice, whether pointed -, field - and vole-mice, are the
intermediate - carrier of the Borrelia - bacteria and Tick-encephaliitis-viruses
(FSME). Out of this it is to be derived, that the ticks take in
the germs already in a very early developmental stage and communicate
the"Lyme-Borreliosis" and essentially more rarely the
virus of the Tick-encephaliitis (FSME) onto person and animal.
After the last "Bloodmeal" of the adults
the female tick puts out mostly thousands of eggs. The male already
dies after the copulation.
Ticks live (up to approx. 1,00 meter) at the floor (litter of leaves)
and in near the floor on ferns, grasses as well as on bushes and
brushwood at margins of forests, trails and fields and on parks,
meadows and gardens and lurk there partially several weeks long
on their victims. The ticks become active in the spring on continuous
day-temperatur of approx. 8°C .
The
victims person, dog, game etc. slip the ticks off from their lurking-position.
The ticks, approximately 1mm large, then look at the body of their
host for a suitable warm and soft place and sting with their proboscis
(Hypostom) - attached with barbs - and begin sucking blood. Before
reall stinging they anesthetize with a bite the puncture mark. This
is also the explanation , that the victim does not or not hardly
perceive the puncture. The act of sucking blood can last several
days, if not violently interrupted. The longer the tick sucks, the
greater is the danger of transfer.
If the tick has bitten a person or an animal,
it must be removed as quickly as possible. Herewith one shouldconsider
the following procedure:
For removing the ticks so-called household remedies like, oils, adhesives, washing-gasoline, alcoholare to be avoided !

The tick is to be removed at the head, as closely at the
skin as possible, with a tweezers or even better with a special
tick-removing-instrument! Compressing the tick must be avoided,
because the virus-infected spittle can reach the bite-wound.

The tick is now pulled-out slowly - under a proportionate
pulling - from the skin with an easy rotation. It is essential that
all parts of the tick, also their mouth, Gnathosoma, is removed.
Please do not throw the tick away; it can analized on the presence
"Borelia" .

Now, after the removal of the tick, the biting-area and the
surroundings may be desinfected with e.g. with alcohol.

Attention!!!
The puncture mark should be observed three up to 3 weeks after the
puncture. If in this time a ring-shaped reddening should be seen
around the puncture mark, then please visit immediately the next
doctor, since there exists a suspicion exists on the presence of
Borrelia-infection. The doctor should have
experiences with tick-bites and their consequences .

Preventive precautions to avoid tick-bites at the dog:
For quite some time there is a vaccination procedure against
tick - borreliosis at the dog. To be vaccinated are all dog; whelps
from the beginning of the 12. week. For providing sufficient protection,
the dog must be vaccinated twice in a period of 3 until 5 weeks.
To keep the protection effective, the dog must be re-vaccinated
every 12 weeks after the first vaccination.
With a tick-protection-collar
I have made good experiences. I use an appropriate collar from Bayer.......
I regularly feed garlic pieces wich I have cooked together
with the meal.
Every day I examine the dog on ticks wich shall be removed
with special forceps imediately .

The consequences of an infection at dogsBORRELIOSE
The Lyme - Borreliosis" is a bacterial disease, which
is caused by the pathogene "Borrelia burgdorferi". With
the complex devellopment of the disease the symptoms are not always
clear in their appearance; they pass over fluently into each other.
It is a very complicated illness, because practically all organs
can be affected. First of all is expands the skin, the nervous system,
the muscles, the joints and the heart.

Several days until few weeks after the infection a cicular reddening
develops around the puncture mark on the skin, which itself expands
as red, in the center violet-colored ring and wanders deeper under
the skin. This reddening mostly does not cause pain and does not
itch. Simultaneously fever appears at our dog (<40°C. ) together
with striking apathy, loss of appetite, strong thirst and great
need for sleep on.

Advise: Imediately visit a veterinarian!

FSME - meningitis
FFSME - early summer
- meningeoenzephalitis is an infection-disease transfer caused by
viruses and becomes only by ticks of certain regions. This inflammable
illness of the central nervous system is rare at dogs. It appears
a.o. in centraleurope.

FMSE begins after an incubation period of 7 to 14 days, can long
in exceptions however up to 4 weeks. The cause of the disease is
very serious for dogs and can end deadly. As far as it is known
by me, there is still no treatment, which leads for the healing.